Health

Fall is a time when millions of people around the country begin to make their travel plans. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the busiest travel times of the year are just around the corner, which include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. There are some great reasons why packing light will help make your trip easier and more enjoyable. And the good news is that it’s not difficult to do, either.

“If you want to pack right when you travel then you really need to focus on packing light,” explains Tina Aldatz, chief executive officer of Savvy Travelers. “There’s much less hassle and stress when you pack light and stick to the basics. You can put your focus on your travel, rather than having all of your attention go to dragging around way too much luggage.”

Here are some Savvy Travelers tips for packing light and right for fall and holiday air travel:

For Veteran’s Day, LearningRx of DC Metro Area is offering 11 percent off of their brain training programs for military families Nov. 11 through Nov. 30, located at six, local centers, Chantilly, Va., Fairfax, Va., Leesburg, Va., Reston, Va., Vienna, Va. and North Potomac, Md. For each military child they train, LearningRx will also donate $111 to SemperMax, a program to enhance the morale and welfare of wounded veterans and their families. LearningRx programs have been helping traumatic-brain-injured military veterans, like U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Horan (Ret.) of McLean, Va., recover their speech and memory skills, and LearningRx is now extending brain training to military families that are looking to make learning easier or for those who struggle with learning disabilities, ADHD or autism. For more information, go to www.learningrx.com.

Each Christmas, there are children around America who unwrap a new, non-powder gun. These guns include BB, pellet, and paintball. While many parents may believe such guns to be harmless, and even see them as a toy, statistics suggest otherwise. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over 20,000 injuries result from these types of guns each year, with four percent of them requiring hospitalization.

“These guns are not toys at all, and they can certainly do damage both to people and to animals,” explains Robert Misseri, president of Guardians of Rescue, an organization dedicated to helping animals in need. “In our line of work, we have seen it often – kids who shoot at animals just for fun, and leave them distressed and injured. These guns create problems that parents are not even usually aware of.”

Here are 5 tips for parents who may have a child with one of these non-powder guns, or who are considering getting one for them:

Each New Year millions of people make resolutions in hopes for everything from losing weight to quitting smoking to learning how to control their anger. The problem is that many are not sure what things can truly help them have a great year, or what changes they need to make to help those resolutions become a reality. The good news is that there are some really small changes people can make that will help give them a great New Year.

“Most people sit down to make their resolutions and they simply want to lose weight or something like that,” explains Louix Dor Dempriey, a spiritual master who started Louix Dor Dempriey Foundation and leads the events. “Just making that a resolution doesn’t show you the path on how to achieve results, or happiness. When you are happier and more complete, you will find it much easier to achieve those goals.”

There are a variety of good things that people can focus on to help bring them a great 2013, including:

Bill Clinton did it. So did Ellen DeGeneres. In fact, millions of people around the nation have taken the pledge to go vegan. November is considered World Vegan Month, and it is a great time to take a look at what veganism is and why so many people are moving toward this lifestyle, which eschews using any animal products.

“Veganism is a diet based on living in peace and harmony with the natural world,” explains Louix Dor Dempriey, a spiritual master who started and leads events through the Louix Dor Dempriey Foundation. “There are many great reasons for being vegan, and people around the country are beginning to take notice, helping to increase the number of those who are either vegan or moving toward a vegan lifestyle.”

When Karen Flanagan walks across the finish line of the “Step Up with Walgreens” Challenge on Sat., Oct. 20, she’ll be taking the steps at least 21 pounds lighter.

The Manassas resident reluctantly signed up for the challenge in August, prodded by her daughter, Walgreens employee Fawn Flanagan, and now is in the running for an individual prize worth $500.

“I’ve been trying to lose weight,” said Karen, whose wake-up call came when she went in for a physical this summer, the first since “I can’t remember.” Raising five children and being a grandmother to five more, plus working a physically demanding job as a pet groomer, the 55-year-old had just plain neglected her own health. “So when I walked in Walgreens and Fawn said, ‘Mom, come over here!’ I knew I was in for it.”

As the sound of school bells ringing signals that school is back in session for the year, it also means that students and parents will face some common issues. It is estimated, each day in America, that 160,000 students stay home from school in order to avoid being bullied, so it makes a lot of people wonder what goes on in the mind of a bully. Judging by the research regarding who bullies, it would stand to reason that it’s quite a bit.

“We tend to look at the situation of bullying, and not so much at the bully him- or herself,” explains Peter J. Goodman, author of the book “We’re All Different But We’re All Kitty Cats.” “But if we had a chance to peek into the mind of the bully, we might be surprised at some of the things we would learn.”

There are some things that bullies don’t want people to know, including: